Today, 21 April, over 70 SME home builders gathered at the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) SME Development Seminar to hear from an impressive line-up of service providers to the industry.

The seminar is the first HBF event of its kind, providing attendees with exclusive insight and connections to organisations operating in the SME home building space. Over the course of the day, participants heard from speakers providing key services, including areas such as development finance, legal expertise, tax advice, and insurance cover.

Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at HBF, opened the seminar with a reflection on the last year and how key policy events and wider economic pressures have affected SMEs operating in the home building sector.

Alan Gracie, National Housing Development Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, provided an update on the mortgage market and wider economy.

With significant policy changes announced in the last six months, including the National Planning Policy Framework and Future Homes Standard, HBF’s Planning Director Catherine Williams and HBF’s Technical and Sustainability Director Rhodri Williams both spoke to attendees about the most pressing implications of these issues on SME home builders.

Development Finance Providers MSP Capital, Pluto Finance and Paragon Development Finance attended to give an overview of their services and specialised SME support their organisations offer.

Developers’ options in relation to waste management, sustainability and managing costs was another theme of the day, with presentations from representatives of Nexus ReGen and MukAway.

Rodéric van Hoof, Director at The Fiscal Incentives Group provided delegates with insight on latest tax considerations affecting SME home builders.

Harry Holman, Managing Director at HWH Insurance Brokers, provided insight into the risks and policy gaps in property insurance. Taking attendees through the legal compliance relevant to home building, Megan Largier, Solicitor at Winckworth Sherwood LLP, provided an overview of the key traps developers should consider before acquiring a new site.

Technical Sales Manager Ian Thornton joined the seminar from E.ON Next to talk to attendees about their smart optimisation energy bill product for new build homes.

Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at the Home Builders Federation, said: “The HBF SME Developer Seminar is an opportunity to showcase the high-quality service providers in our industry. Giving SME developers the chance to connect with organisations that help home builders finance, insure, and facilitate construction is an essential element of stimulating housing delivery, not only to meet the Government’s housing targets but also to support market diversity.”